He is certainly a much better centre-back than Jason Pearce was before he left for Wigan, but we still have the same team that struggled in the championship last season.

If we sign another three players, will this mean the end for several of last year’s foreign imports?

Time for Whites to ‘think big’

wetherby white, via yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk

Congrats to Adam Pearson for getting this one (the Sol Bamba signing) over the line.

He must have had a battle on his hands with our owner after Sol made his honest views known about the shambolic treatment over the Thompson/Redfearn fiasco.

Just need to offer Sam (Byram) a new contract now and pull off the Championship signing of the season – Mr Barton.

Think big Leeds United.

Best signing of the summer

Jezaldinho, via yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk

After Adam Pearson, this – the Sol Bamba signing by Leeds United – is our most important signing of the summer.

He’s exactly what we need and that was crystal clear last season when we looked a different side with him playing.

As others have said, he’s a natural leader and shows real passion – something that will rub off on the inexperienced players around him.

He also showed the beginnings of a decent partnership with Giuseppe Belusci.

The bigger issue facing us is Sam Byram. If he doesn’t agree to a new contract then I can see him being sold, as he’ll be effectively forcing a move.

We can’t let him go for nothing next summer when there’s £5-6m on the table now.

If it were up to me, I’d offer him a contract on decent wages for three years, with a clause stating that if Leeds fail to achieve promotion this coming season then he’ll be free to leave next summer to a Premier League club for a set fee of around £7m.

I think he’d happily sign that.

We’re also being linked with strikers but I hope the lack of wide pace is addressed first.

We haven’t had a decent winger for something like five years now.

It’s utterly bizarre why we haven’t managed to sort it out.

All that said, I think we’re in for a positive season ahead.

Better than we’ve seen on

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